It’s been 21 years since the release of Mansun’s debut album, Attack of the Grey Lantern, which peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and left a sear on the hearts of indie lovers across the country.

It’s a curiously English concept album – or half a concept album, according to frontman Paul Draper – following the adventures of superhero The Grey Lantern as he traverses through a fictional village, encountering strange inhabitants and solving riddles.

The Grey Lantern was also Draper’s on-stage alter-ego, and the first name of the band, later changed in recognition of cult criminal Charles Manson. This multi-layering is characteristic of Draper’s storytelling, which led Mansun through waves of Britpop, prog, and alternative rock.

After Mansun fell apart, fans campaigned for Draper’s return, and following an enthused petition, he’s back. Two EPs and a solo album have been released, and this sold-out show heralded the start of a tour in which he’s playing a full set of new material before the entirety of Attack of the Grey Lantern.

Draper’s fans are die-hard, and a sea of branded tee-shirts awaited him at the sold-out first tour date. Backed by a full band including the brilliant Christina Hizon, Draper didn’t waste time, sprinting through tracks from his latest album Spooky Action, including a soulful solo acoustic performance of Jealousy is a Powerful Emotion.

Sipping tea from a polystyrene cup, Draper occasionally rallied the audience, but otherwise, it’s a fairly staid show. The Mansun album was played in full, and faithfully, without flourish. This was a crowd who knew all the words and needed little encouragement with anthemic single Wide Open Space’ and album track Disgusting’ received equally well.

It’s clearly a big undertaking for Draper to perform two full sets back-to-back, but his voice didn’t fail him. His stage presence, though consistent and calm, lacked the magnetism it had before. But his doesn’t concern the great swathes of the audience who swayed with their eyes closed as they crooned along, lost in nostalgia.